It has been almost a month since our last look at the upcoming 3rd Person Infantry update. This time we're revealing the last of the base infantry models- the French trooper.

The French trooper is the last of three base infantry models needed to complete the set. We spent a lot of extra time on the coat to ensure it followed the historical standard but worked with the particular challenges of model/mesh deformation during various states and animations. We're really pleased with the results.

All the necessary kit objects such as ammo pouches and canteen have been completed. We will be creating additional kit objects where necessary to reflect any change in equipment for various infantry units.

Work is now underway on the Paratroop models for all three countries with some particular challenges for the French Paratrooper. Unlike the British and French models which can be modified with unique kit objects and texture changes, the French Paratrooper requires a completely new model. Long time players who are familiar with the current model will recognize the design but with some upgrades and a more gritty treatment.

While we continue work on models, our focus has shifted to creating, modifying and testing the new animation library which will be utilized by all third person characters. The early results seen in the videos we've featured in these updates are encouraging. More fluid movement and lifelike motions are a nice upgrade to our current library. Our goal is to replace current animations with the new library before we expand it to add new moves/states.

In related news, thanks in large part to player support for the project through our development support fund, a new crop of Builders and a terrific response to our new pricing plans, we have added an art resource to the team. We welcome James "Volcol" Chilton to the Rats list. Volcol, a long time WWII Online player, will be contributing to the effort through modeling and texture work for the 3rd Person Update and hopefully future projects. Thank you to our community for the tremendous support for this project and the future development of the game.